Fallen Angel
by Mo-Mantai
Summary: Mimi and Matt head to the mountains to challenge themselves to a rockclimbing adventure. Unfortunately it wasn't the romantic trip they'd been hoping for
1. Fallen Angel

Fallen Angel  
  
"I don't know about this Matt." Mimi said, looking rather anxious and pale. "Don't worry sweetie. It'll be just fine." Matt tried to help her relax. "Besides, you were the one who wanted a thrill remember?" Mimi turned her back to her boyfriend and walked away from the monstrous peak that she was about to climb. "When I said thrill, I meant an amusement park but this . . . This is ridiculous, this is crazy, this is dangerous, this is so Matt Ishida." Mimi smiled a little then rolled her eyes after coming to that realization. Matt was always trying to boost his macho masculine ego by doing these crazy things but why did he have to go so high? And why did he have to bring Mimi along for the ride?  
  
"I know that I was the one who suggested doing something wild but, could we maybe do something a little closer to the ground?" Mimi turned around to face her boyfriend wearing the cutest most enticing smile that she could sport in order to convince Yamato to back out of this crazy stunt. "C'mon Meems. What are you? Chicken?" Matt walked toward Mimi with a mischievous smile on his face and a playful gleam in his eyes. He chased Mimi down the forest trail until finally catching up with her and scooping her off the ground, he spun her in circles then pressed his lips against hers so that they could share a passionate kiss.  
  
"I really don't want to do this Matt." Mimi confided as the couple made their way back up the trail toward the rocky cliff. "I really think that it would be a good thing for us" Matt replied. "You would get the thrill that you were seeking, we'd get some fresh country air and once we reach the top, we can share a beautiful country sunset like we've never seen before." Mimi really liked the idea of holding her boyfriend close as they watched the sun set behind the trees. There was nothing more wonderful then watching the sky turn brilliant pinks, oranges, and purples that went hand in hand with a summer sunset and there was definitely nothing more romantic then watching the son set with the one you love but she just couldn't get over her fear.  
  
Matt watched as Mimi's clam aura turned to one of distress and fear as they neared the base of the mountain. He really wanted to scale the humungous hunk of rock but if Mimi was going to be completely petrified then there were other things that they could do. "If you really don't want to do this then say so and we'll go home and catch a movie or something" Matt said disappointedly. Mimi hated seeing her boyfriend like that so after consideration she decided to scale the peak for the sake of love. "No Matt. I want to do this for us." Mimi lied, forcing a smile. She watched as Matt went from being a grim teenager to an overexcited school boy in seconds. "Really?" he asked almost hopping up and down for joy. Mimi couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Yes, Really."  
  
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"We're looking for Lucky Yin" Matt announced to the desk clerk as he and Mimi entered the "Rocky Heights Rental Depot." "Ah, yes. You must be Mr Ishida." Lucky stood up from behind the counter to shake Matt's hand. "Yes I am and this is my girlfriend Mimi" he gestured over to the girl beside him. "A pleasure to meet you both" Lucky smiled as he ventured over to Mimi and welcomed her with a bright smile and a hearty hand shake. Mimi couldn't help but notice the boy's smile. Not to mention his dark hair and the most intriguing eyes that she had ever seen. They were an extremely rare colour of turquoise. They reminded her of the ocean on a warm summer's day.  
  
"Well, let's get suited up!" Lucky said very enthusiastically. Mimi was ripped from her perfect summer dream scape at the sound of his voice and followed the two guys into the back room where all of the climbing equipment was stored. "You both will need a climbing suit, helmet, shoes, pads, and a safety harness" Lucky said, pointing to the equipment on the walls as he named each piece. "There are many different colours to choose from so I'll let the two of you shop around a bit while I go get suited into my own gear." Lucky left the room and left Matt and Mimi to themselves to pick out their climbing ensembles.  
  
"What do you think?" Mimi asked as she modelled the usual coloured pink climbing suit. She also sported a sky blue helmet and matching pads. "You look great as always and completely colour coordinated." Matt looked up from getting himself dressed in order to observe his girlfriend's fashionable get up. Matt was wearing a blue climbing suit with a yellow helmet and purple pads. "How do I look?" he asked for Mimi's opinions after slipping on the last elbow pad. "Very handsome" she said while untwisting a tangled knee pad on his left leg. "I picked these colours because it kind of reminds me of Gabumon" Matt recalled his Digimon's face and wondered what he was up to in the Digiworld but his thoughts were interrupted when Lucky reentered the room in full gear.  
  
"I can see that the two of you made out okay." The instructor flashed his famous smile and as he observed the couple's choices in clothing. He was wearing a red suit with orange pads and a yellow helmet. It reminded Mimi of a clash between fire and ice. His suit was scorching hot like fire but those turquoise eyes were icy-cool. Once again Lucky intruded her daydream handing she and Matt a harness. "We're going to go down to the face of the mountain and then I'll explain to you how to use the harness belt and the clips." he explained. "The best way to learn is to do so I won't talk too much before we start to climb." "Oh no, talk as much as you want. We don't mind at all" Mimi said still feeling shaky about climbing.  
  
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"...So, you periodically push in the pegs, wrap the rope through the clip and feed your rope through. That way, if you do slip and fall, you won't go that far before the rope snags." Lucky finished off his little climbing lesson and waited for the couple to let it all sink in. "Sounds great! Let's go!" Matt said anxiously awaiting the challenge. "Don't worry Mimi. It's perfectly safe." Lucky could tell that Mimi was having second thoughts. (Actually, to Mimi it was more like hundreds of thoughts.) Mimi nodded trying one last time to convince herself that it was going to be okay. Then, before the fear had a chance to resurface, she put a hand onto the cold, hard rock and hoisted herself into the air. Matt and Lucky followed close behind.   
  
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"You're doing it Honey! Way to go!" Matt shouted down to Mimi who was constantly repeating the phrase "don't look down" as she climbed higher and higher up the rocky peak. Mimi had been ahead but she hesitated just a few feet off the ground allowing Matt and Lucky to proceed. It took a while but soon she went onward and had almost caught up with Matt. Lucky, on the other hand had disappeared altogether. He had scaled this mountain one hundred times and was a pro. "He's probably at the top by now" Mimi thought to herself as she as she struggled to pull herself up to the next available stronghold. "I can't believe he just left us down here!" Mimi called up to her boyfriend overhead. "Don't worry! We'll just get up to the next level and take a break. He'll come back looking after a while" Matt yelled back down. "Good idea!" Mimi said. It was a very good plan and besides, she really wanted to stop.  
  
As Matt reached the platform he looked overhead and noticed a similar looking level not to much higher up. He looked down to see how Mimi was doing then considered the options. He helped Mimi onto the lip then decided on what their next move would be. "I can't see anything from here but if we get to that next level we should be able to see Lucky just fine." Mimi followed Matt's pointed finger higher up the mountain. "Okay, I guess so. It's not too far up. Although, I am a little tired." "You can make it to the next one Meems. We'll rest once we get there" Matt encouraged her to proceed onward. "Okay. Let's go!" Mimi agreed. Matt smiled and gave his pink princess a quick kiss on the lips. "You're such an angel" he whispered in her ear and the couple set off once again.  
  
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About a half an hour had past before Matt had finally reached his destination. He looked up and thought he saw Lucky way up toward the top. He looked back down the mountain to see Mimi struggling with the climb. "Come on Sweetheart. You're almost there!" Matt shouted, trying to encourage her. "I can't get the rope through the clip" Mimi shouted back. "Don't worry about it. You're almost there" Matt called down again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mimi took Matt's advice and let the rope dangle below her without fastening it to the clip. The resting spot was only a few more feet up and it wasn't like she was going to fall. "You're doing great baby! Just a little further!" Matt kept the positive juices flowing. Mimi climbed to one rock, then the other, to the next feeling quite confident. She placed her foot one more rock and was about to reach for Matt's hand when her support gave way beneath her and sent her tumbling down the mountain side to the plateau twenty feet below. "Mimi!" Matt let out a horrified cry as he watched his girlfriend miss his hand by millimetres and land on the plateau lifelessly.  
  
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Red flashing lights shone in the night sky rushing toward the city. Everything was a blur as Matt went along for the ambulance ride from Hell. The hospital emergency doors burst open and Mimi was rushed through by about a dozen different paramedics. Matt ran along beside them until something held him back. He struggled to break free but the opposing force was to strong. All he could do was watched through closed doors as Mimi was rolled around the corner and out of sight.   
  
Author's Note: Will Mimi survive the fall? Find out in part 2 "The Spirit Channel."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. The Spirit Channel

The Spirit Channel  
  
"Mimi! Mimi!" Matt shouted in a hysterical rage as he fought back against the force which held him in opposition. "Mr. Ishida! You must calm down" came a voice from behind him. "We'd like to help Mimi but, you'll have to sign some papers" the voice continued. Matt whirled around to face the paramedic who had restrained him. "Is she going to be okay?" Matt asked, finally able to calm down. "I can't say for sure. All you can do for her is to sit and wait patiently. We do have to have someone sign these papers before the doctors can proceed." The paramedic handed a clipboard with a lot of medical terminology printed on the paper in which it secured. "This is Nurse Rose. She'll take care of you for now." The paramedic introduced the nurse then turned his back and left through the emergency doors in order to continue his rounds.  
  
"Is there anyone that you could call?" Nurse Rose asked Yamato who was staring blankly at the paper before him. It was now tear stained and hardly legible through Matt's tear-filled blue eyes. "I guess I should call Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa." Matt choked. "We have some friends whom I should call as well" he said passing the clipboard back to the nurse and heading toward the pay phones. "How am I going to tell Mrs Tachikawa?" Matt sobbed. He picked up the receiver and dialled Sora's number instead. Giving the news to her first would be much easier and it would give him some practice before he completely terrified Mimi's parents.  
  
"Hello Sora?" Matt whispered, trying to hold back any further tears. "Matt? Is something wrong" Sora asked, instantly picking up on the trace of fear from the other end of the line. "It's Mimi, she . . . " he let his voice trail off unable to repress his tears any longer. "What about Mimi? Is she alright?" Sora questioned in a state of alarm. It was a rare occasion when Yamato Ishida was shedding tears and Sora knew that whatever had happened to Mimi on the climbing trip was dreadfully bad. "I'm at the hospital" Matt managed to continue. "There was an accident and Mimi . . . " Matt's voice disappeared once again and Sora didn't wait very long before answering. "Matt? I'll get the others and be right there. Oh, and just sit tight. I'll call Mrs. Tachikawa" Sora said picking up on the blonde boy's fears. Matt hung the phone back on the hook then headed back toward Nurse Rose.  
  
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About a half an hour after he had hung up with Sora, Matt looked up to see a crowd of eight people burst through the emergency doors in a panic. The six other Digidestined teens as well as Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa, came rushing toward him all at once. "Matt, where is she?" Mrs. Tachikawa cried out in devastation. He had played back this scenario a hundred times through his head but even so, nothing could have prepared Matt for the look of complete horror which resided on Mrs Tachikawa's face. Her pleading eyes settled upon the boy searching for an explanation in which he was too frightened to give. Then as if to relieve the tension, Nurse Rose approached the worried adults with the familiar looking clipboard then pulled them aside to fill out the contents of the same tear stained sheet that Matt had seen once before.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you okay Matt?" Tk asked, laying a comforting hand on his older brother's shoulder. For a long time after that there came no reply from the guilt stricken boy. The rest of the group had all found chairs scattered across the lobby and gathered in the waiting room where they waited in silence and stared at the blank white walls which surrounded them. Finally, after several hours Matt raised his head from his hands and spoke. "She didn't want to climb" came the words from his mouth. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was over come by tears.  
  
Sora rushed to her friend's side and tried to ease his pain by gently rubbing his back. "Just let it all out Matt. You'll feel better when you do." Matt looked up at the girl sitting beside him. His usually cold, independent eyes were now childlike, afraid and begging for help. Sora could see that her friend was suffering and she felt helpless. "Is there anything you need Matt? A coffee? Tea?" Matt shook his head in silence then returned it to his hands where it was dark and solitude.  
  
The clock over the nurse's station completed a few more cycles before another sound was heard in the waiting room. Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa had finally returned from behind the forbidden doors of the operating rooms. Following directly behind was the doctor who performed Mimi's surgery. Matt jumped out of his chair at the instant Mimi's parents came into view. His bones ached on account of sitting in that uncomfortable chair for so long but the pain didn't even phase him. He looked directly at the doctor and before he proceeded to open his mouth the doctor had already answered the question on each of their minds. "She's going to be just fine." Upon hearing the words, a huge load was lifted off of Yamato's shoulders and once again the tears flowed freely. However, unlike the previous sob sessions these were tears of happiness and hope.  
  
The remaining Digidestined stood from their chairs and crowded around Matt surrounding him in a group hug. ". . . However" The doctor interrupted the moment. "She is currently in a coma and it is not certain when or even if she will wake." The last few moments of happiness seemed as if they were in vein, as if some supernatural force was toying with their emotions. After a lengthy pause it was Kari who shattered the silence. "Can we see her?" she asked, eager to assess Mimi's condition for herself. The doctor looked at her and she knew by the way he studied her that the answer would not be the one in which she was hoping for. "I'm afraid she's still in a very delicate state at the moment. Besides, you've been here all night and I suggest that you go home and get some rest. You are all welcome back later this afternoon when Mimi's condition should be more stable." With that, the doctor disappeared through the forbidden door and left the teens alone with their thoughts.  
  
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In a private hospital room Mimi's body was surrounded by a great number of machines while her mind had drifted into another place. She stood in the middle of a circular room and was surrounded by a thick purple fog. In front of her was a long tunnel and at the end a dim light which was just enough to outline the silver pedestal in which she had just stepped off of. She looked around trying to make sense of her surroundings. "Where did the mountain go?" she asked as she subconsciously headed toward the light at the other end of the tunnel.  
  
As Mimi neared the end of the tunnel, the light source grew stronger and as she stepped out of the dark passageway her eyes widened at the sight. She was standing in a place that she knew quite well. She had spent days at a time inside of the little cottage before her along with Matt, Sora, Tk and the rest of her friends. "This is Gennai's house!" she thought to herself in amazement. "How'd I get back into the Digital World?" She didn't stand around and think about it very long before giving up and deciding to let Gennai answer all of her questions. Mimi made her was to the front of the cottage and knocked gently on the old wooden door.  
  
"Hold on. I'm coming!" shouted the old man from inside the house. "If it's a Digi-Salesman I'll . . . " Gennai mumbled the last part of the sentence under his breath as he turned the door knob and met his visitor face to face. "Sincerity! What are you doing here?" Gennai looked shocked when he saw that it was Mimi who had been knocking. He motioned of the girl to step in and take a seat. Then, he shut the door behind her. "I wanted to ask you the same question Gennai" Mimi said after sitting comfortably on a kitchen chair. "What am I doing here? Matt and I were rock climbing one minute and then I blinked and I was inside of a dark tunnel with all of this purple fog surrounding me" she explained.  
  
Gennai walked over to his bookcase and grabbed the usual book out of its resting spot. "Wow! That book has the answers to everything!" Mimi commented as she watched her old friend flip through the pages of the enormous publication. "You said that you woke up inside of a tunnel and there was a purple fog floating in the air?" Gennai asked as he stopped and studied the words on the page. "Yes that's right, and when I walked out of the passage, there was your house" Mimi confirmed. Gennai shut the book and stared at his guest for a while. "I don't think that you are really here" he finally said. "What?" Mimi looked extremely baffled. "The tunnel that you emerged from is called the Spirit Channel." Gennai reopened the book and showed the page to Mimi. "What happened on that mountain that you were climbing?" Gennai asked.  
  
Mimi's mind wandered back to the past events on the mountain. "Matt and I were climbing and . . . Oh my God! I fell!" Mimi's warm flesh toned skin turned to a cold ghost white. Her hands were trembling and her mind was racing. "Gennai, am I dead?" She didn't want to hear the answer. Her stomach was turning violently and she felt as if she had just stepped off the Tilt 'o' Whirl after the one hundredth ride. "No, I don't think you're dead Mimi. However, your body is probably in a deep coma. My guess is that you fell a very great distance off of that mountain." Mimi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Okay, so you're saying that I'm not really here and am probably in a hospital back in Odiba, right?" Gennai nodded his head in agreement. "Okay then, I have two very simple questions for you. How did I get to the Digiworld and how do I get back into my body and wake up from this coma?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gennai stood and thought for a moment. "I thought you said that these would be simple questions" he muttered under his breath. The old man pondered for a few more minutes as he flipped once again through his famous book of knowledge. "My guess is that you were transported to the Digiworld through one of the hospital's machines. Your Digivice must have reacted to the hospital technology and instead of travelling to the dream world that goes hand in hand with a coma, you were carried through the machines and forced back into the Digital World." Mimi let the new found information sink in before proceeding to repeat her second question. "How do I get back home?" "In order to proceed backwards through the Spirit Channel you must complete the sacred journey" Gennai answered. "Come with me. I'll tell you more when we reenter the channel."  
  
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Matt and the other Digidestined sat at Mimi's bedside praying for a miracle. "I can't lose you Meems. I need you here with me." Matt tightened his grip around her fragile hand. "Even my crest of hope won't glow. Does that mean that there isn't any hope around?" Tk held his crest out for all to see. It dangled lifelessly around his neck. "Come to think of it, none of our crests have reacted since the accident" Izzy deducted. "Our crests are basically powerless without the strength of all eight of us" Sora reminded everyone. "Without Mimi and the crest of Sincerity one piece of our puzzle is missing" Kari summed it all up. Matt absorbed the words of his friends and then turned his attention back to his girlfriend. "See Mimi? We all need you. You have to keep fighting." 


	3. The Weight of the World

The Weight of the World  
  
Gennai and Mimi reached the mouth of the cave and then paused before stepping inside. "Sincerity, when your mind entered the state of coma, the Digital balance was shifted. Until you complete the challenges given to you by the gatekeeper, the rest of the Digidestined children shall remain powerless. Without the combined forces of all eight of the chosen ones it will be easy for evil to regain its place in the Digital World. You must act quickly and return home before that is allowed to happen." Mimi nodded confidently. She knew that this task might possibly be the biggest challenge that she had ever dared to face. Not even facing all of the evil Digimon at once could measure up to the amount of stress that she felt at that moment. The fate of the Digital World relied on her alone. "The gatekeeper is waiting Mimi. Only spirits may enter inside so my role in this quest has come to an end. Good luck Sincerity!" Gennai watched as Mimi ventured into the cave and was engulfed by darkness.  
  
Once deeper inside the tunnel Mimi was surrounded once again by the purple mist. She reentered the circle room looking for any sign of life. "Gennai said that the gatekeeper was waiting, but it looks like he's the one who is late." Mimi circled the room staring at the familiar looking carvings on the walls. She hadn't noticed them the first time around, but equally spaced out around the room were the symbols of each of the Digidestined crests. She finished studying the marks on the walls and turned her attention to the silver pedestal on which she had awoken.   
  
A man, shrouded completely by the blackness of the cave, was now perched on the silver block waiting to be acknowledged. The only thing that made him visible was the light of his eyes, which seemed to be staring deep into the soul of the young girl. Mimi was startled at first, but there was something about the man that made her feel comfortable. She couldn't exactly put her finger on exactly what it was about him, but she did notice something very familiar about his eyes. She just couldn't figure out exactly what it was.   
  
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Izzy sat in his room looking up information for his astro physics project on his laptop. The assignment was due in a week and he would have been completed by now if it hadn't been for Mimi's accident. Since the fall he had been in the hospital with all of his friends and he hadn't had time to concentrate on schoolwork, (which was extremely abnormal for the computer whiz). Izzy looked down at his watch. "10:00pm. Finally, I have a moment to get to work" said Izzy before looking up at his screen and noticing an instant alert from Gennai.   
  
"Izzy, I have striking news from the Digital World. Assemble the other Digidestined and meet inside of Mimi's hospital room" were the orders shouted by the old man, who in E-mail form was a walking, talking icon. "It never fails! You're just about to explain the light space continuum before getting interrupted by a computer generated image and told to go back to the Digiworld!" Izzy put down the top on his computer, shoved it into his knapsack and was out the door, heading in the direction of Tai and Kari's apartment. "Whatever Gennai has to be important if he wants us at the hospital at this hour."   
  
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"We're all here now Gennai" Izzy informed the old man as Joe tried to slip through the door unnoticed. He had made a detour at the rest room on his way to Mimi's suite and now he was late to the meeting. "I have news about Sincerity" Gennai's voice rang through the computer speakers. "News? What kind of news?" Matt asked anxiously. It had been days since he had heard anything good about his girlfriend's state and he knew that Gennai would not let him down. "How did you obtain information on Mimi's condition?" Izzy asked curiously. "Who cares how he got it" Matt blurted out. "Just let him give it!" "So, what is it Gennai? Is Mimi okay?" Kari asked looking slightly worried that the news would be bad instead of good. "Are you all sitting down? This is a long story." Came Gennai's reply from the speakers.   
  
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"I assume that you are the one that I'm waiting for" Mimi moved closer toward the mysterious gatekeeper. "You have many challenges ahead young Sincerity. If you succeed you the gate to home will be revealed to you, but if you fail you will be trapped inside the cave of wandering souls for all eternity." Mimi refused to give in to the fears surfacing from the pit of her stomach. Failing was not an option. She wasn't only fighting for a way home. The fate of the Digiworld and the powers of the Digidestined were in her hands.  
  
"What is the first challenge Gatekeeper? I'm ready!" Mimi clenched her fist in the air. A look of pure determination plastered on her face. "Your first challenge shall be decided by way of roulette." With a wave of his arm and a puff of smoke, a podium appeared directly in front of where Mimi was standing. On top of the stone dais laid a circular button, which was the means for activating the roulette. "Push the button to decide your fate" came the words from the gatekeeper. Mimi steeped up to the stand and activated the machine. The stone carvings on the walls were given life as they each shone with coloured light. The light pulses spun around the room highlighting each crest symbol until finally coming to rest on yellow crest of hope.  
  
"Great! I need a little glimpse of hope right now!" Mimi smiled at the thought of Tk's smiling face. She would bring life back to his crest. All she had to do was conquer this first challenge. You have chosen the challenge of Hope. Enter through the door. Your challenge awaits!" The gatekeeper motioned toward a slab of rock that lifted to reveal a hidden room inside the cave. Mimi turned to the gatekeeper before entering to face the challenge. "What do I do?" She asked. "In the challenge I mean. You didn't give me any instructions." "A longtime friend shall reveal your task to you once you enter the room. Now, move along. You do not have much time." As Mimi stepped through the door, the slab of rock slammed behind her leaving her trapped inside to complete her first challenge.  
  
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"Okay, we're sitting" said Sora nervously. "Digidestined, Mimi is on a quest to save the Digital World from destruction." Gennai informed. "Is this a joke?" Matt yelled, hopping to his feet. "Mimi's laying right here in front of us Gennai. Don't you have any compassion? Any respect for a person's feelings?" Matt's blood boiled. How could Gennai make it seem like Mimi was perfectly okay when in fact, she could be hanging on the brink of death? "Don't worry Matt." Tk tried to console his older brother. "Gennai always has an explanation." Tai added. Matt decided that getting angry wouldn't do Mimi any good, so he decided to give in and hear what Gennai had to say. "Okay Gennai, lets hear it." He sat down and let the old man continue with his story.  
  
"Mimi's body is in fact lying in front of you, but her spirit is not. She was somehow transported through the electronic hospital equipment and landed in the Digiworld. She is now inside of the spirit channel and working on challenges given to her by the gatekeeper. With each challenge that Mimi completes the light of your crests and Digivices shall return. "Whoa! Hold on a minute! Let me get this straight. Mimi's soul was zapped through this heart monitor thingy and brought to the Digiworld?" Tai repeated Gennai's story in a way that he could understand. "I think that's what I heard" Kari agreed that Tai had the right idea. "And now, she's in some sort of cave trying to return the power to our crests and Digivices" Sora concluded.   
  
"That's correct Digidestined" Gennai confirmed all of their thoughts. "That's a lot for Mimi to do by herself" Tk said worriedly. "Tk's right! Is there anything we can do to help her?" Joe asked anxiously. "For now all you can do is wait. With the Digivices and crests powerless, there is no way to enter the Digital World." Gennai responded. "So basically the Digiworld is a sitting duck." Matt realized. "Without us there to protect it any evil Digimon can take over." "That is why I am relying on Sincerity to complete the challenges quickly" Gennai explained. "As soon as the light returns to your crests, I need you to meet up with your Digimon then rendezvous at my cabin. I have detected an unidentified Digimon in the area and it doesn't look good. Ill check back with you soon Digidestined. Over and out."  
  
"If anyone can get through those challenges Mimi can" Sora spoke out after a long period of silence. "Yeah, that's right! She's never let us down before." Joe caught on to Sora's plan and decided to join in and raise their spirits. "I'm sure she knows what's at stake. Gennai should have filled her in on everything before she entered the spirit channel." Izzy chimed in. "Yeah that's right. Gennai is always prepared. Yeah, he knows everything" Tk and Kari added. "Well be back in the Digiworld in no time!" Tai looked extremely confident. Matt however, did not seem so convinced. "I know she's my girlfriend and I have to have faith in her, but you have to remember she's only one person! She's not Atlas! She can't carry the weight of the world by herself." The happy atmosphere that had filled the room a moment before had escaped through the window as the kids considered Matt's words. They all turned their attention back to Mimi's lifeless body. The only sound to be heard in the room for the rest of the evening was the faint beeping of the heart monitor as the Digidestined awaited Gennai's return. 


	4. Hope, Light and Love

Hope, Light & Love  
  
"A long time friend will reveal my challenge" Mimi repeated the last words of the gatekeeper as she looked around the empty room. "Hello? Anybody here?" She shouted. Her words bounced off the rock solid walls yelling back at her as an echo. "Hello? Longtime friend?" She yelled once more. The only reply was her own voice making its way back to where it started. "Oh, this is hopeless" Mimi sighed as she lowered herself to a sitting position. Who knows how long she'd have to wait for someone to get here? She might as well make herself comfortable.  
  
"Don't lose hope Mimi. That's the one you're trying to win back remember?" Mimi jumped to her feet and a smile broke through her tightly pressed lips. She recognized the voice, but where was it coming from? "Palmon, is that you?" Mimi yelled across the room hoping that she wouldn't be answered by her own words. "You'd better believe it girl!" Came the reply from the plant type digimon on the other side of the room. "Oh Palmon! Come here. Let me see you!" Mimi looked in the direction of her digimon's voice, but darkness was all she could see. "Uh uh Mimi. That's your first challenge. We're playing hide and seek and you're it!" "That's it?" Mimi sounded quite surprised. She thought that she would have to slay a dragon or something.  
  
"Well, ready or not, here I come!" Mimi yelled back excitedly. If all of the challenges were this easy, she'd be out of the spirit channel in no time! "Mimi wait!" Palmon warned. "You're about to walk into a maze of mirrors" Palmon explained. "You only get one chance to find the real me before you stay trapped inside the cave forever!" Mimi felt a lump creep up in her throat and she swallowed in an attempt to force it back down. I should have known there would be a catch. There's always a catch." "You can do it Mimi! I believe in you!" Palmon encouraged her friend. "Okay, here it goes!" A light suddenly flashed in front of her revealing the mirror maze. "Ready or not, here I come." Mimi repeated not quite as confident as when she first uttered the words. She took one last deep breath and then headed toward her first challenge.  
  
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Apparitionmon rose from his grave slowly that evening. His advisors had summoned him to the spirit channel a few days ago. His mission was to dispose of the gatekeeper and set all of the ghost type digimon free to reek havoc on the Digital World. He would have been at the cave by now, but it was summer months in the Digiworld and the sun resided in the sky for much longer than usual. Being a ghost-type digimon himself, the sun was harmful to his existence and therefore he could only travel in the darkness of the night. "Soon all of my ghostly followers shall be free and the Digiworld will be ready for the coming of the Digital Armageddon   
  
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"Palmon? Try to guide me to the real you. There are so many of the fake you and I have no idea where to start." Mimi had been wandering around the mess of mirrors for a long time now and she was beginning to lose hope. "All I can tell you is that when you find me you'll know. The real me has something of yours in her hair." Palmon offered some help. "Where did you get something of mine?" Mimi wondered trying to remember a time she might have offered one of her belongings to her friend. "Don't worry about how I got it Mimi. Just worry about finding it!" Palmon yelled back sounding rather annoyed with the girl's lack of success. "Okay, I get it! I'll find you as quick as I can" Mimi called back.  
  
Palmon's excitement reached its peak as she watched her friend turn the corner and look right at her. "C'mon Mimi, just a little closer" Palmon whispered to herself hoping that the game would soon come to a close. Mimi wandered down the narrow passageway studying the hundreds of Palmon as she looked back and fourth. Palmon could hardly stifle a giggle as Mimi walked right up to her and stared directly into her eyes. Mimi watched the digimon for a while and then started toward the next corner. Then, out of no where, something inside of the girl made her stop and turn back toward the reflection that she had just looked over.   
  
She studied it one more, concentrating really hard on finding something that belonged to her. It was then that she noticed a small chain hanging around the reflection's neck. She looked down to the digimon's feet then back up to her head smiling. "Hey Palmon, you've got my crest!" Palmon jumped into Mimi's arms glad that she had finally been found. "I've got your digivice too!" Palmon added as she wrapped her leaf like arms around her "longtime friend." C'mon Palmon. Let's get out of here. Around them the mirror maze faded out of sight and the door leading back into the spirit channel re-opened inviting Mimi in to accept her next challenge.  
  
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The whole group watched in awe as a bright yellow light shot out of Izzy's computer and rejuvenated Tk's crest. The young boy was glad to have his power back. He had felt empty without it and he was sure that the others were feeling the same way. After all, the crest was a part of them now and without it's light the Digidestined felt as if they were walking in the dark.   
  
"Yippee! Mimi did it!" The young boy hopped up and down in excitement. The others were equally happy for both Tk and the success of Mimi's challenge. Then, like clockwork, Gennai appeared on the computer monitor putting an end to the celebration. "Mimi has done well Digidestined. As I knew she would. However, now is not a time of celebration. Instead it is one of grave concern." "What do you mean concern?" Sora asked. The puzzled look on her face was common of the six other children who were waiting for the old man to continue. "I have identified the approaching digimon to be an evil digimon by the name of Apparitionmon." "You won't have to worry about him for much longer Gennai" Tai exclaimed. "Tk's got his crest now and all signs point to the crest of Sincerity being active. That means that Mimi should be moving to the next challenge where she'll win another." "Yeah" Joe chimed in. "Pretty soon all eight of us will be back together in the Digital World!"  
  
Gennai shook his head in disagreement. "Legend has it that the appearance of such a digimon signifies the beginning of the Digital Armageddon." "Digital what?" Kari asked questioningly. "Digital Armageddon" Matt repeated. "The total destruction of the Digiworld!" Izzy offered eyes wide in horror. "That's right." Gennai confirmed Izzy's worst nightmare. "Apparitionmon is said to be the one to release all of the evil spirit digimon from the confines of the spirit channel. Once free, the ghostly monsters will reek havoc and destruction on our world. They will stop at nothing until the whole Digiworld has been turned to a barren wasteland."  
  
"So, we've got to get back into the Digiworld and quickly!" Matt yelled, hand clenched in front of his face. "That's right!" Tk agreed. "And it's going to start with me!" He shouted determinedly. "That's right Tk. Are you ready to go?" Gennai asked. "I am so ready!" Tk replied excitedly. "Be careful Tk. We'll be right behind you okay?" Matt put a reassuring hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Don't worry Matt. I'm not afraid. Let's get going Gennai!" Tk held out his crest and digivice in front of him and was soon sucked back into the Digital World, leaving the other six children waving goodbye down below.  
  
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"Congratulations young Sincerity." The gatekeeper praised her efforts. "Not only have you gained access to your digimon, digivice and crest, but also you have allowed the bearer of hope, Takeru, access to the Digital World. Are you ready for your next challenge?" Mimi nodded confidently. "I won't wait another minute! Let's get going!" "Then you know what to do." The gatekeeper replied.   
  
Mimi stepped up to the dais and pushed the button in the center once more. The light touched all of the symbols on the wall as it had done before, except this time the symbols of hope and sincerity were permanently lit. Mimi watched as the light slowed down and laid to rest on the symbol of love. The rock slab lifted and Mimi didn't hesitate. "Let's bring Sora back!" She exclaimed before she and Palmon entered the room for her second challenge.  
  
The room was full of light this time and Mimi found it much more inviting then the feelings darkness and isolation, which she had felt the first time. In the center of the room was a small pistol that looked like it belonged attached to an arcade game. "I wonder what I'm suppose to do with this Palmon." Palmon just looked at the girl and shrugged. "Maybe you should go and pick it up." As Mimi stepped up to the arcade she heard the voice of the gatekeeper explaining the rules of the game.  
  
"In a moment a series of eight prisms will appear in front of you with a heart shaped container in the middle. The gun you have in your hand is loaded with beams of light, which you must shoot through all eight of those crystals. Once the light has passed through all eight, it must then find it's way to the center and light up the heart. If you manage to do so, you will earn the crest of love as well as a bonus prize. Remember. The light must pass through all eight of the prisms. The walls in this room will defuse the light so do not let the beam hit them. You only have three attempts to light the heart. If you fail..." "I know, I know, I'll be trapped inside the Spirit Channel for eternity. Let's just get on with it!" Mimi interrupted. "Good luck Sincerity" was the last thing the gatekeeper said before leaving them alone with the challenge.  
  
"He said that we'd get a bonus for completing this one! I wonder what it could be?" Palmon said eagerly. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" Mimi replied, extending her arms out in front of her and preparing to fire the pistol. Just as the gatekeeper said, eight crystals rose out of the floor and signaled the beginning of the second challenge.  
  
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Day had finally given way to night and Apparitionmon was on the prowl once more. "The Spirit Channel lay just ahead! Soon the Digital World will literally be a ghost town!" He laughed a very haunting laugh and continued on his way. "The gatekeeper won't know what hit him! With the Digidestined children out of the way, this will be easy pickings." He was obviously not aware of Takeru's recent arrival as well as the fact that one of the Digidestined would be there to meet him as he entered the Channel.  
  
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Mimi shot a beam of light through the first prism and then it passed through the second and third ones before making it's way to the wall. "Oh great!" Mimi sighed. "How am I suppose to make it through all eight at this rate? Not to mention getting it to pass through the heart after that!" Palmon encouraged Mimi from the sidelines. "C'mon girl! Think of the bonus prize!" She exclaimed. Mimi laughed. "Maybe if I try from a different angle?" She made her way to the other side of the obstacle and shot from that end. This time it passed through four of the prisms.  
  
"Well Mimi, you only have one chance left. If you blow this you'll never be able to go shopping again. You'll never sleep in a warm bed, never take a hot shower, and you'll never be able to touch or even see Yamato ever again!" She reminded herself just to add a little extra pressure to the situation. She stared long and hard at the game before deciding to take her last shot.   
  
"Hey Mimi?" Palmon tugged on the bottom of the girl's pink dress. "That heart in the center is shaped exactly like the other eight crystals, but it has eight edges to it." Mimi looked at her friend confused. "Yeah, so what?" "Maybe if you shoot the light into the heart container first, it'll come back out and light up the crystals too!" Mimi seemed to consider this for a moment before shrugging off her fear. "What do I have to lose besides the rest of my life? It's worth a shot."  
  
Mimi steadied herself and tightened her grip on the gun. She aimed for the heart at the center of the course. It was big enough that she shouldn't miss, but it was her last shot at freedom and that made Mimi nervous. "One... Two..." Mimi closed her eyes and braced herself. "Three!" a pulse of light sped through the air and headed directly for the heart container. It made it's way inside of the case and bounced about for a few seconds, only adding tension to the situation before it split into eight smaller beams and shot through all eight crystals in the surrounding area.  
  
"Palmon, you're a genius!" Mimi cried, picking her up and spinning her around in circles. She remembered how good it felt when Matt had done the same thing to her. It felt like months since she had been running through the forest away from him and the mountain, but now she wished more than anything that she could run back toward his arms so that they could hold her tight. It would only be a matter of time. Mimi assured herself.  
  
"Congratulations once again my friends!" The gatekeeper welcomed them as they reentered his chamber. You have completed another challenge and because of that, have rekindled the power in the crest of love! "Sora!" Mimi cried, happy that her best friend would be whole again. "What about the bonus prize?" Palmon prodded, anxious to see what it was. The gatekeeper couldn't help but laugh. "Since the game involved light, I thought that it would be quite appropriate for the crest of light to be rejuvenated as well!" Mimi and Palmon exchanged glances of joy. "What a great prize!" Palmon exclaimed. "Now three of our friends will be able to enter the Digital World and you're a step closer to making it home Mimi!" "Shall we go for the next challenge?" The gatekeeper asked. "Um hum." Mimi nodded.  
  
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Gennai appeared once again on Izzy's computer screen and made the Digidestined jump out of their chairs in anticipation. "What's the word Gennai?" Tai asked anxiously. "The word is that Sora and Kari are now able to come back!" Gennai replied as the red, and pink glow replenished the two girl's crests. "Well then, let's not waste any time!" Sora said. "I agree! The sooner I meet up with Gatomon again, the better!" Kari announced, holding out her digivice to copy Sora's action. "Be careful you two. Tai warned. "Don't worry Sweetie. We'll see you soon!" Sora told him before she and Kari disappeared into the computer.  
  
"I'll be back soon boys." Gennai told the remaining four kids. "Take your time Gennai. Visiting hours are almost up anyway." Joe pointed out. "I say we all sleep over at my house. That way we can stay together and it'll be quicker to get back when Mimi has more success." Izzy offered. "That's a great idea Iz!" Matt agreed. "Shall we get going then?" Tai asked. "Yeah, we should call our parents before it gets too late." Joe said. The boys left the room and headed for Izzy's apartment, leaving a sleeping Mimi behind. However, Mimi's spirit would do everything but sleep that night.  



	5. Got Your Back

**Got Your Back**

  
  


Izzy unlocked the door to his apartment and motioned for the other three guys to step inside. "We haven't done a sleepover for quite a while." Joe pointed out as he followed Matt and Tai into the apartment and closed the door behind him. "That's true." Izzy agreed. "But given the circumstances, I don't think that we'll be doing a lot of sleeping tonight." He added. "That's for sure!" Tai exclaimed. There was a hint of anxiety in his voice as he spoke. Izzy and Joe both knew that he was worrying about his sister and girlfriend, but at the same time, trying to hide his fear and be sympathetic to Matt, who hadn't said a word since exiting Mimi's hospital room. The fear, pain and guilt that he was feeling was much more then what Tai was going through and Tai knew that for the sake of his best friend's well-being, his problems had to play second fiddle.  
  


After an awkward moment of silence, standing just inside the entryway, Matt finally spoke with obvious irritation in his voice. "I know that you guys are trying to help me get through all this, but I'm not in the mood for reminiscing about old times and sleepovers! Can we just get into your room so that we can be ready when Gennai tries to contact us?" Izzy looked taken back by Yamato's sudden outburst, but he knew that it wasn't directed toward any of them. Matt was simply worried about his girlfriend and he had to let his aggression out. "Sure thing Matt." He said quietly. "Let's go."  
  


Izzy lead the boys around the corner and into his bedroom, where he instantly took a seat at his desk in the far corner of the room and re-connected his laptop to the power outlets. "Okay, it's all set! Now all we have to do is wait for Gennai to come and bring us some more good news!" He exclaimed. "Or bad news." Joe mumbled under his breath. Tai gave Joe a quick shot in the ribs for making such a comment and the young Kido knew that if Tai had heard the comment, then chances were that Matt had heard it as well. "Sorry Matt." He said sympathetically. "Don't worry about it Joe." Matt replied somberly. "Even I have to admit to the fact that things don't always turn out all hunky dory. What are the chances that Mimi gets through this whole ordeal without a scratch on her? It's not very likely, that's for sure." He added, feeling rather annoyed that he was beginning to lose faith in Mimi's abilities.  
  
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The light that had flooded the Spirit Channel two times before had once again given life to the symbols etched on the solid walls. Four of the emblems had been lit permanently by this time and signified that Mimi's mission had reached it's median. "Round and round and round it goes..." Palmon sang cheerfully. "...Please stop at Yamato's." Mimi sang add lib words, continuing Palmon's song under her breath. She watched as the light flickered and faded, momentarily showcasing one of the four remaining crests. As it began crawling to a halt, Mimi inhaled a surplus of air and locked it within the depths her lungs, wishing with all of her heart and soul that it would come to rest on the crest of friendship.  
  


"Come on, come on" Mimi thought to herself. With breath locked in lungs, heart filled with anticipation, and eyes following the light with enormous concentration, it seemed as if all time had stopped. All that existed was she and the light. She watched it intently until it finally came to a halt Mimi's legs collapsed under her weight and she started at the wall and the illuminated symbol with utter disappointment. She released the stale air from her chest and let the tears trickle down her ghostly, pale cheeks. The voice of the gatekeeper intruded her thoughts, confirming what the wall of the chamber had shown. "Set your eyes upon the sun and the heat wave of courage." He said in a rather poetic tone of voice. "This is one of the more challenging obstacles. You must use a number of attributes to conquer the bridge of fire."  
  


"I understand." Mimi nodded before making her way toward the room where her previous two challenges had been met. "Oh, one more thing." The gatekeeper called from behind. Mimi froze and turned to face those ocean-blue eyes. "What is it?" She asked. "Palmon is expected to participate in this challenge as well." The plant type Digimon whirled around on her roots upon hearing those words. "What? That wasn't in the contract!" "You are a part of Mimi and she is a part of you Palmon. By objecting to this test of faith you would renounce your devotion to Mimi and to the crest of sincerity. "I'd never do that!" Palmon promised. "I was just taken by surprise that's all!" She insisted. Mimi couldn't help but laugh. " Sure you were!" She teased. "C'mon, let's just get this over with." Palmon pouted as they entered through to the bridge of fire.  
  
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Apparitionmon came to the mouth of the Spirit Channel on the opposite side that Mimi had first entered. He could feel his strength increasing just by looking into the cave. Soon, all of his ghoul and ghost adversaries would be free, the gatekeeper would be under his control and the Digital World would be his for the taking. All that remained was to navigate his way through the catacombs of the cave and to catch the guardian off guard. He entered the cave and started off toward the main chamber.  
  


The virus Digimon felt very at home here, especially being a ghost-type Digimon. The stale air was as refreshing to him as pure mountain air was for the living. The cool, damp, temperature was the perfect climate and the purple fog that carpeted the ground added a touch of ghostly class. It was much to his liking. "I may make this place my main command post." He said to himself. "But first thing's first, the conversion of the Spirit Channel gatekeeper to a monstrous creature that better suits this environment." Apparitionmon chucked to himself, as he rounded the corner that opened to the chamber where the Digidestined of Sincerity has only recently exited and the gatekeeper was currently situated. Apparitionmon stayed out of site, green eyes glowing with anticipation. But the hour was not right. All hell must break loose at midnight.  
  
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Sora, Tk, and Kari and their Digimon counterparts sat impatiently around Gennai's kitchen table while their advisor hacked away on his keyboard. "I wonder how Mimi is doing?" Tk wondered aloud. He had been the first one of the Digidestined to arrive in the Digital World and had been waiting the longest for word on the girl's progress. "I'm sure she's doing just fine!" Sora assured her younger friends, knowing that Mimi would give all that it takes to be successful. "I hope you're right Sora. She's been gone for a while now and poor Matt won't be able to take much more." Kari noted. "It shouldn't be long now." Gennai's voice was heard from his desk.  
  


"What shouldn't be long Gennai?" Sora asked eagerly. "Is Mimi almost finished in the Spirit Channel?" Tk asked with the same amount of expression in his voice. "No." Gennai said simply. "Digital Armageddon is fast approaching! If Mimi and Palmon don't hurry, Apparitionmon will gain control of the gatekeeper and the Digital World will be in grave danger unless all of the Digidestined are together!" Gennai explained the dire importance of the situation. "Oh no!" Kari exclaimed. "I hope they'll be able to make it in time!" Sora nodded. "C'mon Mimi, I know you can do it!" She thought, trying to send the message of encouragement to her friends.  
  
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"It sure is hot in here!" Mimi told Palmon, wiping a bead of sweat off of her forehead. "You're telling me!" Palmon agreed. "My roots are already drying up!" Mimi bent down and felt her friend's roots between her fingers. "You're right! We'll have to work fast then!" She insisted. "Right!" Palmon nodded. "Gatekeeper, what are the rules to this challenge?" Mimi called out to the guardian. "It's quite simple. You must cross the bridge." He replied. "Oh is that all?" Palmon shrugged. "Piece of cake!" Mimi tapped the Digimon on the shoulder. "Uh Palmon? Have you looked at the bridge?" "No." She replied, joining Mimi at the edge of the platform on one side of the bridge. "Gulp! Um...Shall we get going?"  
  


The bridge that lay in front of the girls was constructed of old, rotted wood, bound together with a few strands of warn rope. Below was a smoldering pool of molten lava that called to the girl's to satisfy its hunger for flesh and bones. "Well, there's no use standing here and worrying about it. That'll never get us anywhere!" Mimi told herself. "Shall we cross then?" Palmon asked. "Might as well." Mimi nodded before taking the first step onto the unsteady overpass. "Here we come Tai!" Mimi exclaimed, determined to concentrate on her goal rather than the burning liquid beneath. "I'm right behind you my friend." Palmon assured her.  
  


The bridge rocked back and forth under the weight of its two occupants, making it very hard for Mimi and Palmon to keep their balance. "I don't think I can do this Palmon!" Mimi called back. "Sure you can Mimi!" Palmon encouraged her. "We're in this together. Just take it one step at a time. I've got your back!" "Okay Palmon!" Mimi replied, holding tightly to the rope on either side of her. She tried as hard as she could to distribute her weight evenly to lessen the amount of rocking, while at the same time concentrating on moving forward. "We're half way there Mimi!" Palmon pointed out. So far, apart from the immense fear that they were both feeling, the trip had gone rather smoothly. Mimi smiled at the sight. "That's great!" Starting to feel confident because of their success, Mimi decided to quicken the pace. Not realizing the condition of the plank directly ahead of her, Mimi put her foot on the board and screamed as it collapsed under her weight, sending her plummeting down into the liquid inferno.  
  


"Mimi!" Palmon shouted as she watched her best friend fall. "I'll save you!" The plant-type rookie acted quickly, releasing her tendrils and wrapping them around the distressed teen, just moments before meeting her doom. "I've got you!" Palmon exclaimed, using all of her strength to hoist Mimi back onto the semi-solid ground. Mimi gasped and tried to regain her breath. "I...Palmon...you saved me!" Palmon smiled brightly. "I told you that I've got your back!" Mimi laughed in spite of the recent situation. "I knew I could rely on you!"  
  


Before continuing to travel across the bridge, Mimi decided to survey the situation. As she studied the construction of the bridge she noticed that it was made of two different kinds of wood. One was a dark mahogany coloured wood, while the other was a sort of chestnut shade that matching the colour of her hair. "I think I've come up with a theory!" She stated. "What kind of theory?" Palmon asked curiously. "Just watch." Mimi said, walking toward a lighter coloured plank and putting her foot on it. She quickly jumped away as it too, cracked under pressure. "I think that all of the chestnut pieces are designed to break. We have to make sure to avoid them." She told Palmon. "Wow Mimi! You're almost as smart as Izzy!" Palmon proclaimed.  
  


A few minutes later they had crossed the entire span of the bridge. Understandably proud of their accomplishment, they beamed as the gatekeeper appeared before them with extra rewards once again. "You demonstrated a number of Digidestined qualities during the course of that challenge." He announced. "I am happily going to award you with the crests of reliability and knowledge in addition to that of courage." "That's wonderful!" Palmon cried, while Mimi did not seem as enthusiastic. "What about friendship? Haven't we demonstrated that quality all of the way through?" Mimi asked. "Yes, you have, but I cannot give you what you are requesting. One more challenge waits."  
  
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Gennai turned to the kids, still circling the table in his kitchen. "The crests of courage, knowledge and reliability have all been activated!" Gennai cried happily. "I am going to tap in to Izzy's computer and transport the boys here right away!" Sora joined the old man at his desk. "That's great Gennai! Go for it!" Gennai nodded. "I'm picking up his signal right now." Izzy's room appeared on the screen. "Greetings Digidestined! Mimi has been successful once again!"  
  


Izzy and the rest of the boys crowded around the computer waiting for Gennai to act. The light of the crests had already returned to them and they now waited to join the rest of their friends. "We know, our crests have already been rejuvenated and we're ready to go!" Koushiro announced. "Actually, I'd like you to stay with Matt for now Izzy. You can join the others upon Mimi's return." Matt was disappointed that he wasn't going back just yet, but he knew his time would come. "Don't worry Matt!" Tai said sympathetically. "Mimi just wanted to save the best for last!" He said before he and Joe were transported to the Digital World. "I guess it's back to playing the waiting game." Izzy sighed.  
  
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The clock struck midnight and Apparitionmon was ready to make his move. "You're mine gatekeeper!" He shouted before lunging toward the guardian of the channel. "Apparitionmon!" The gatekeeper screamed in horror. "Sincerity, go and hurry! Your new challenge waits. The Digital World depends on your triumph!" He called to Mimi. "But I..." Mimi stuttered. "There's no time! Hurry!" Mimi entered the challenge room once again, completely disoriented from the sudden attack on the gatekeeper. She wanted so bad to help him, but he had insisted that she complete the challenge. "I hope he'll be okay!" Mimi told Palmon and she nodded in agreement.  
  
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"Now come to the dark side!" Apparitionmon shouted, unleashing a blast of dark energy at the gatekeeper, who emerged as a horrible beast.  
  
**A/N** What will happen to gatekeeper? Will Apparitionmon succeed? Will Matt make it to the Digital World?  
Find out in Part 6, "Digital Armageddon  
~MPF 


	6. Digital Armageddon

**A/N:** This is the long awaited conclusion of the Fallen Angel series. I'm sorry that it took so long to complete, but I had a huge case of writer's block when it came to this fic. Here it is and although it's kinda lengthy, it's well worth the read! I promise!  
  


# **Digital Armageddon**

"Tai!" Kari exclaimed as her brother, along with Joe appeared inside of Gennai's kitchen with the other Digidestined that Mimi had already freed from isolation in the real world. Sora, Gomamon and Agumon also rushed toward the boys as they greeted their them. "I'm so glad you're here!" Sora told her boyfriend as she threw her arms around his neck. "We're glad to be here!" Tai replied honestly. Joe nodded in agreement. "It's been really hard waiting all of this time and now that we're here, we can actually do something to help Mimi!"  
  


"Actually Joe, we've been waiting just as long as you have to get moving." Gomamon confessed. "That's right! We've been waiting for Mimi to activate the light in all of the crests before we started anything." Agumon added. "Now, we're only waiting on my brother." Tk told them from his place at the table. "Oh man!" Tai groaned. "We waited all of that time at home just so we can come to the Digital World and wait some more? I wish we could get started!"  
  


Gennai turned his attention from his computer screen to the statement that Tai had made. "You're wish is granted." he said simply. "Wow! Then I wish for a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese as well." Tai retorted. "You can eat after you come out of the spirit channel Taichi." Gennai told him. "I thought that only spirits could enter the spirit channel Gennai." Kari said, confused. "Yeah, what are you going to do Gennai? Kill us?" Tk asked sarcastically, but the smile that spread across the old man's face showed no sign of joking. He was, and excuse the pun, dead serious.  
  


"I think I'm going to be sick!" Joe groaned. "C'mon Joe, you've risked your life for the Digital World tons of times." Tai let out a string of nervous laughter. "You have to be kidding Gennai!" Sora said desperately. "It can't be what it sounds like! Nothing is ever what it sounds like in this world. We've definitely learned that from experience." she said, still a bit weary about her explanation. "This is nuts! There's no way that you could be asking us to do this!" Kari called from the washroom, where she was tending to Joe's nausea. "Don't worry Digidestined. I have another method in mind." Gennai told them and laughed as child and Digimon alike let out a sigh of relief.  
  


*****

  
  


"Okay, so once again we get sent into this room with no idea what the challenge is." Mimi let out a long sigh to try and relieve herself of the tension and frustration that plagued her, but nothing lifted the weight on her shoulders. "And I don't think we're getting any help on this one either." Palmon told her best friend. Both girls shuddered as they recalled the events that occurred just moments before they entered the dark, mysterious room where they had conquered all of their previous challenges.  
  


"What was that thing that lunged at the gatekeeper?" Mimi asked, but wasn't really certain if she wanted to know. "I have no idea, but I do know that it's bad news!" Palmon replied. "We should go help him Palmon! We can come back for the challenge later. I'm already a spirit, so I can't get any worse." she thought aloud. "That's true." Palmon agreed "But the gatekeeper told us to finish the challenge. He said that the Digital World is depending on us!" Mimi considered Palmon's words before responding. "I just... I'm scared and I think that we'd have a better chance with a monster then we would with this challenge." she said sincerely. "How do you know Mimi? We don't even know what this challenge will be!" Palmon reminded her. "That's my point exactly! At least we'll be able to see the monster and know what we're up against, but we could be waiting here forever for this challenge to begin." Mimi explained. "The gatekeeper has helped me all through this ordeal and now it's my turn to return the favor!" she declared. "Can we at least think about it for a little longer?" Palmon urged. "Alright." Mimi heaved a heavy sigh. "It's not like I don't have the rest of eternity to make a decision anyway."  
  


*****

  
  


"This is taking way too long Izzy!" Matt complained from his station on the young computer whiz's bed. "Matt you have to be patient alright? It's only been about twenty minutes!" Izzy retorted, rolling his eyes. "If this is what love does to a guy then you can count me out!" Izzy stated. "Not literally of course." he mumbled under his breath, as he turned back to his computer documents and left his lovesick friend with his own thoughts.  
  


*****

  
  


"Okay, so what exactly is this _other_ method Gennai?" Tai asked, growing slightly impatient with the old man's procrastination. "These!" Gennai dug through the drawers in his desk for a minute and then turned to face his saviors. In his hand were ten high-tech bracelets made from what looked like it was chrome digizoid armor. Each was tainted a different colour to match that of each crest and etched deep within the surface was a different symbol, also matching the crest. Each Digidestined stepped forward to receive one of their own and then stepped back to join the rest of the group.  
  


"What exactly are these?" Tk asked, studying the thick strip of metal that he clasped around his wrist. There were a few buttons that sat unmarked on the top of the band and Tk's fingers were itching to press them, but held back and waited for an explanation. "Those are your tickets inside the spirit channel. As for a formal name, there is none. It's fairly new technology, but maybe by the end of this quest you will be able to come up with a name for me." Gennai told the young boy. "They administer the proper digital codes to your body, giving you the status of dead or deleted as it is known in this world. The buttons on the top of the band are what activate and deactivate the code." the old man explained further.  
  


"So now we can actually help Mimi with something!" Sora exclaimed happily. "That's right!" Kari chimed in, equally excited. However, as with most happy moments over the past few days, it was cut short by Gennai's "all knowing" personality. "The reason I gave you these devices was not for you to rush in and help Sincerity directly." he cut in. "Then what for?" Tai asked confused. "The hour of Digital Armageddon is upon us my young friends. Apparitionmon has been successful in his attempts to win over the mind of the spirit channel gatekeeper. This has unleashed the wondering souls all over the Digiworld and the only way they can be stopped is to destroy the source of the evil and restore the peace of mind of the gatekeeper. Until this is accomplished, the Digital World will be susceptible to many forms of destruction at the hands of these evil spirits. You must act quickly to restore the balance of our world.  
  


"So what are we waiting for?" Joe asked in an irregular heroic tone of voice. "Let's kick some Apparitionmon behind!" The others jumped at the oldest boy's words and were ready to go. "Before I lead you to the mouth of the cave I must give you two more very important regulations of this journey." Gennai divulged. "First, you must not disturb Mimi and Palmon at any time. Their primary duty is to solve the last challenge and restore life to the crest of friendship. If they are disrupted, their attempts will have been made futile as Mimi will have lost the opportunity to return to her physical form and the light in each crest will be lost forever." Gennai warned. The Digidestined nodded, indicating their understanding of the first precaution.  
  


"The second rule that you absolutely must take heed to is that if you deactivate your band at any time while you are inside the spirit channel, you will forfeit your own physical body. This will result in being trapped inside the cave and left as a wondering soul for the rest of eternity." Gennai informed them. "That's a little harsh." Tai muttered under his breath. "But very necessary." Gennai assured him as he had overheard. "The time has come to begin your decent." he said, leading the Digidestined outside his cottage and toward the opening of the spirit channel.  
  


*****

  
  


"Fly my ghostly friends!" Apparitionmon shouted through the opposite entrance of the channel. "Reek havoc on all of this world and claim it as our own!" he yelled. All was going according to plan and with the gatekeeper as a hideous beast under his control, even if the Digidestined managed to somehow gain entrance to the spirit channel they would sure as digital hell never make it out again.  
  


The smile on the face of the demon grew wide as all hell broke loose on the Digiworld. The sky turned a wicked shade of crimson and was contrasted by monstrous bolts of black thunder crashing down toward the landscape and ripping its inhabitants to shreds. The earth opened up to reveal huge canyons of molten lava beneath its surface and it's cries of hunger echoed across the barren land. The Digiworld had transformed from its peaceful existence to one of a satanic paradise in seconds. Digital Armageddon had come with a bang.  
  


*****

  
  


"It's time to activate the bands everybody!" Tai called to his friends as he hit the button on his bracelet. The others nodded in unison as they punched the buttons on their own strips and entered the mouth of the spirit channel. "We better do this fast Tai. The Digital World looks terrible!" Agumon whined. "We'll get it done as fast as we can!" Sora assured the other Digimon when she noticed their uniform expressions of concern for their home. "First, we have to find the center of this cavern." Joe informed them. "That's where Gennai said we'd find all of the action." "Allow me!" Gomamon smiled. "I got a nose for sniffing out action!" Gatomon then stepped forward. "And I've got the eyes for seeing in the dark." Tai nodded. "Alright Gatomon. You and Gomamon take the lead."  
  


They followed the Digimon duo through many winds and curves until finally Gomamon's nose smelled the action and Gato's glowing eyes confirmed their suspicion. Apparitionmon, along with a monster sat in the middle of a force field of dancing spirits. Tai stopped the group with outstretched arms upon coming to the edge of the bend. "Looks like we found our target!" he whispered. "Now what?" Biyomon wondered aloud. "Now we wait for Mimi to come through for us." Tai replied. "But that could take hours Tai and Gennai wanted us to keep the monster at bay." Sora reminded him. "I know, but there is no way we can fight both of them and have a chance at getting out of here with our lives until we are all together. That's where our strength lies!" he retorted.  
  


After about five minutes of watching from around the corner, Tk had had enough. "I'm sick of waiting for everyone else. If we don't act now the Digiworld will be completely destroyed!" Kari agreed. "I'm with you Tk. How's about we play the traditional game of Heaven against Hell and angel against demon?" Kari suggested. He nodded and Patamon and Gatomon took the hint as their digivices sprang into action, unleashing the light of digivolution and giving birth to the two angelic forms of Angemon and Angewomon. "Go for it!" the youngest Digidestined whispered in unison as their Digimon prepared for battle and seeing no point in waiting, the other Digidestined decided to follow suit.  
  


*****

  
  


Mimi was startled by the sounds of battle raging on the other end of the stone blockade. "Apparitionmon must have been taken by surprise." Palmon said calmly, the obvious not registering in her leafy head. Mimi however caught it and smiled at the thought. "Our friends must have found a way inside Palmon! Who else could he be fighting?" Palmon's eyes widened with realization. "If those are our friends outside then I'd say our decision is made! We've got to help them!" she exclaimed. "You read my mind Palmon! Let's get out of here!" Mimi said, jumping to her feet and running toward the door.  
  


"Your challenge has been completed." the voice of the gatekeeper broke through to Mimi's subconscious. "What?" she asked, uncertain of the words she had just heard. "The final crest has been activated. You're challenge is complete." the voice repeated. Gennai's band suddenly appeared on the arms of the girls, indicating her return to her physical body and Mimi gasped. "I don't understand!" she told the voice. "The challenge was to see if you would make the correct choice at the time of need. You demonstrated an act of true friendship when you decided to postpone your own quest for freedom in order to be an aid to the other Digidestined. I am very proud of you Sincerity." Mimi smiled brightly. "Thank you. I owe it all to you." she told the voice while looking around for its origin. "I must ask one more thing of you before you are set free." the voice told her. "Name it!" Mimi replied sternly. "Set me free..." The voice faded into nothing as the door opened to reveal a raging battle. "Of course!" Mimi vowed before her digivice screamed and Palmon immerged as Togemon in seconds. Then she heard the door slam behind her as she raced to join her friends.  
  


*****

  
  


Izzy and Matt jumped to their feet as the familiar voice of Gennai was heard through the speakers of the Pineapple computer. "If you're here then that means..." Matt's comment was interrupted by the old man, but he didn't mind in the slightest. "That's right! Mimi has been successful once again and has been set free to help with the ongoing battle inside of the spirit channel. You boys are needed desperately. Digital Armageddon is in full swing and there is not much time!" Gennai told the two remaining boys in the real world.  
  


"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Izzy finished his sentence inside of the twisting spiral of a portal that sent them traveling between worlds and immerging on the outside of the cave. "You certainly wasted no time in getting us here!" Matt laughed as an extremely excited Gabumon hopped into his outstretched arms. The portal had opened immediately after the blue light had returned to Matt's crest of friendship. "We have no time to waste." Gennai replied in a serious tone of voice. He then slapped the bands onto the wrists of the boys and shoved them off into the tunnel.  
  


*****

  
  


"Wow! Could you tell he was a bit on edge?" Tentomon buzzed as the group made it's way toward battle. "Not at all!" Izzy replied while rolling his eyes. "I don't mind in the least." Matt commented. "The sooner I get to Mimi, the better." "Let's worry about defeating Apparitionmon first. You're reunion can wait. The Digiworld can't!" Gabumon reminded his partner. "Don't worry." Matt assured his Digimon. "I've got my priorities straight." he said as they rounded the final corner and the battling Digimon were joined by an anxious Metalgarurumon and Kabutarimon.  
  


"Matt, Izzy, you made it!" Sora cried as the boys joined the group of onlookers. "And there's Mimi!" Kari exclaimed as the girl in pink also reunited with the group. "We're finally all together again!" Joe smiled at the thought. "How's the fight going anyway?" Matt asked, turning his attention back to their Digimon. "No so good." Tai reported. "Apparitionmon is one thing, but that beast is terribly strong and there's no sign of this so-called gatekeeper. How are we going to bring him back over to our side if he's no where to be found?" he shrugged. "Maybe Apparitionmon has him hidden somewhere." Kari suggested. "No." Mimi said simply. "That huge fur ball is the gatekeeper!" she informed her friends. "That beast?" Sora asked, a look of pure shock shown on her face. "Apparitionmon turned him into that thing." Mimi confirmed.  
  


"Brink of Death!" the children's attention was snapped back to the battle as Apparitionmon unleashed a powerful attack that sent all eight Digimon flying backward. "Kabutarimon, step it up!" Izzy yelled, as his Digimon hit the ground. A chorus of "you too" echoed off the walls as the other kids instructed their Digimon to do the same. Soon the group of champion Digimon was replaced with their stronger ultimate forms, (with the exceptions of Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon, who were all ready in their highest forms.)  
  


"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon let loose her attack in an attempt to retaliate. That attack was joined by Lilymon's Flower Cannon attack, but both were extinguished by a swipe of the beast's arm. "Oh no!" both girl's cried as they fell back to regroup. "Don't worry Angewomon, you'll get him next time!" Kari assured her angel. "You too Lilymon. Don't give up!" Mimi called to her friend.  
  


More attacks faded into nothing as each Digimon in turn tried their hardest, but continued to fail. The beast was way too strong to defeat and time was running out. The Digital World would be nothing but ash by the time they exited the cave. "What now?" Matt asked, totally out of ideas. "I'm all tapped out." Joe admitted. "But we can't give up! We've been in tons of similar situations and we've always come out on top!" Tai tried to raise the broken spirits of his friends. "Face it Tai, we're beaten." Even optimistic little Kari had given up all hope of a victory. "Not yet!" Mimi said coldly, then motioned for her friends to huddle together.  
  


"What have you got for us Meems?" Matt urged, his voice full of curiosity and anticipation. "We have to completely ignore the gatekeeper and focus completely on Apparitionmon." Mimi told them. "How can we possibly ignore something as big as that?" Tk asked, pointing blindly behind him. "It's easy to ignore something you can't see!" Mimi tried to explain. "I'm not exactly following you on this one Mimi." Sora said questioningly. Mimi sighed and took a deep breath, preparing herself for a long explanation. She just hoped that the Digimon could hold out long enough.  
  


*****

  
  


Gennai surveyed the land through the eyes of his computer. The amount of destruction and death that had taken its toll on hundreds of innocent Digimon and other life forms was unbearable. The wandering souls had definitely gotten their revenge on the world that damned them and labeled them outcasts. They had suffered for thousands of years and now Digiworld had paid its dues in tenfold. "Hurry my Digidestined. Our World cannot take much more of this." he whispered.  
  


*****

  
  


"We'll have to lead the beast into the room where Palmon and I completed all of the challenges. When I was in there the door wouldn't open for anything until I had completed the challenge. If we could get the beast into that room then he would be trapped until we completed the challenge of destroying Apparitionmon and ending Digital Armageddon!" Mimi explained. "That's a good plan in theory Mimi, but who's going to lead that thing into that room?" Izzy asked, but when he saw the look in Mimi's eyes, he already knew the answer.  
  


"There's no way I'm letting you lure that thing into a room all by yourself!" Matt snapped at the mere idea of his girlfriend alone and defenseless against that monster. "Fine then Yamato. If you're so worried about it then come with me." Mimi snapped back. "Fine, I will!" Matt declared, letting his humongous ego overcome him. "Fine, then let's get to it!" Mimi smiled smugly as she turned to execute her plan.  
  


"Wait a second you two!" Tai stopped them before they were out of earshot. "While you guys are wrestling with hairy what the heck are we suppose to do?" Mimi looked back, slightly annoyed by their leader's stupidity. "Isn't it obvious? Without the gatekeeper there to protect him, Apparitionmon's defense will be a lot lower. You just have to destroy the ghost." Mimi said in a matter of fact kind of tone. "Oh, why didn't I think of that?" Tai asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It was pretty self-explanatory honey." Sora put a comforting hand on Tai's shoulder. "Okay fine. Just be careful you two." he told them. "Don't worry, we will." Matt said smiling. "Good luck!" Mimi called over her shoulder as they ran toward the monster.  
  


*****

  
  


"Lilymon, Metalgarurumon, a little help?" Matt called to the two Digimon. "Of course!" Lilymon smiled as she grabbed Mimi's hand and took flight. Metalgarurumon hunched over to allow Matt to climb on his back and then the plan was in motion.  
  


"Hey fur ball!" Mimi called to the beast as she flew quickly across his line of sight. "Come and get me!" she called again as she turned around and raced past the other way. "That's right!" Matt called from his post on the ground. "Come and get me!" Both Digimon unleashed their attacks just as a pincher and sure enough the beast tore after the couple as they made their way toward the challenge room. Dashing past Tai, Matt gave him the thumbs up and the others made their move.  
  


*****

  
  


"Alright guys, there's are cue!" Tai told the others. "All together now, before Apparitionmon figures out what's going on!"  
"Wing Blade"  
"Vulcan's Hammer"  
"Horn Buster"  
"Terra Force"  
"Heaven's Charm"  
"Gate of Destiny"  
All six attack flew toward the unsuspecting ghost at once, catching him completely off guard. The strength of the attack sent him hurdling toward the ground but he was up again as soon as he fell and ready to retaliate.  
  


"Brink of Death" Apparitionmon fired the attack that had been successful once before, but this time the good guys were prepared and they flew in all directions to avoid the attack. Now they had placed themselves so that the ghoul had been surrounded. He wouldsoon fall to the hands of the Digiworld's champions.  
  


*****

  
  


"C'mon, just a bit closer." Mimi held her breath as the beast took the last few steps toward entrapment. "Flower Cannon!" Lilymon let go of her attack once more in an attempt to speed up the process. They were backing into the room very slowly, preparing to make a quick exit as soon as the entire body of the beast was within the perimeters of the room.  
  


"Metal Wolf Claw!" Metalgarurumon had to get a final attack in before they were labeled victorious. The beast was inches short of being fully encompassed by the room and Lilymon grabbed Mimi's hand, ready to fly at any moment. "One, two, three!" Mimi held her breath and closed her eyes as Lilymon dove close to the floor in order to make it under the stone slab that was falling toward the floor at a high speed. "There!" the pixie sighed in relief as it shut right after she had bulled the point of her boot out of the way. "We did it!" Mimi cheered as she listened to the violent growls of the beast, trapped in closed quarters. "We're not completely done yet though." Matt reminded her, pointing over to their friends who were holding Apparitionmon at bay.  
  


*****

  
  


"Need a hand?" Matt asked as he and Metalgarurumon took a spot beside Tai and closed the gap in the circle. "Yeah, there's always room for more friends!" Tai replied happily. "How about for me?" Mimi asked as she and Lilymon squeezed between Sora and Joe. "Of course!" Sora replied. "You better give it up Apparitionmon, we've got you surrounded!" Tk yelled at the captive in the center of the circle. "Yeah, your number's up and it's time to answer to the Digidestined!" Kari added triumphantly.  
  


"Don't count your ghosts before they hatch Digidestined." Apparitionmon laughed as he tried his alternate attack. "Hell's Flame!" A wheel of fire flew in all directions, but was cooled right down by Metalgarurumon's Ice Claw attack. "I believe it's don't count your digieggs before they hatch. Wargreymon corrected. "And I've counted eight Digimon here who have already hatched." Magnaangemon commented.  
  


Mimi gasped as the green light of her crest began to glow fiercely and with it came the symbol of sincerity that was etched on the walls of the spirit channel. Each of the other Digidestined looked down to see their crest glowing as well and they activated their symbols on the wall just live the green light of sincerity. Soon the darkness of the spirit channel began to relinquish as it filled with the light that was radiating from the walls. The kids turned their attention back to Apparitionmon, who was frozen with fear.  
  


"I'd say that's our cue. Wouldn't everyone agree?" Izzy asked the rest of the circle. No one disagreed as the Digimon geared up for their final attacks. "The crest of Courage" Tai held his crest in an outstretched arm fueling his Digimon's attacks.  
"Terra Force"  
"I've got knowledge!" Izzy smiled.  
"Horn Buster"  
"Hope, Light, and Love" Tk, Kari and Sora said one after the other.  
"Gate of Destiny"  
"Celestial Arrow"  
"Wing Blade.  
"The Digidestined can always rely on each other!" Joe exclaimed.  
"Vulcan's Hammer"  
"Because of our Friendship!" Matt added.  
"Metal Wolf Claw"  
"Ain't that the truth!" Mimi summed it up and Lilymon fired a final...  
"Flower Cannon"  
Apparitionmon screamed with defeat as the attacks and the light of the crests got the best of him and he surrendered to the ringing to death's bell.  
  


In an instant, the light of the crests flooded the spirit channel in its entirety and made it's way to the rest of the Digital World, rejuvenating it's life and beauty and sending the wondering souls back into their former confines. Digital Armageddon had ended because of the efforts of the Digidestined champions. They were once again the saviors of the Digital World.  
  


*****

  
  


The stone slab that blocked the entrance to the challenge room scratched the sides of the cave as it began to open and then Digidestined ran toward it so that they could free a hopefully, transformed gatekeeper. What the stone revealed as it lifted was not the gatekeeper though. Instead it was someone from the past that had Mimi and Matt frozen in their places.  
  


"Lucky Yin? The climbing instructor?" Matt gasped as the familiar form stepped forward. Mimi smiled as his entrancing turquoise eyes looked directly at her. "I should have known." she whispered as he stopped in front of her. "I'm very proud of you Mimi." he told her. "I'm proud of you all!" he raised his voice so that the others could hear him as well. "You not only revived the light in the crests, but you saved the Digital World and myself from destruction. The Digital World is lucky to have you as its protectors."  
  


"Why didn't you tell me?" Mimi asked. "And why did you leave Mimi and I on the mountain to die?" Matt snapped upon remembering what began this whole adventure. "I had to leave you or else Mimi wouldn't have fallen and she would not have been able to gain access to the spirit channel. She had to sacrifice herself in order to save this world and she came through. I could not tell you who I was because you had to act on your own behalf in order to bring the others here." Lucky explained. "And now you shall return home again, to where you were before this whole thing happened." he said as they began to fade from view. The Digidestined waved goodbye to their Digimon and thanked Lucky before they disappeared completely.  
  


*****

  
  


"Just a little further!" Matt called down from the top of the mountain, then reached for Mimi's hand as she made it to the top. "I can't believe I did it!' she squealed with excitement. "I knew you could Meems!" Matt smiled as he held her tight and kissed her neck gently. "We're just in time for the sunset too!" she realized as they sat upon a blanket that Matt had pulled out of his backpack. "It sure is beautiful" she sighed. "But not as beautiful as you my angel." he smiled and kissed her. Then hand in hand, they sat quietly and watched until the sun set blow the horizon.  
  
The End  
~MPF 


End file.
